Ruthin Craft Centre

About the museum

Ruthin Craft Centre was founded in the early 1980s and built a strong reputation as one of Britain’s leading venues for showing and making contemporary craft. In 2005 it was decided to replace the old premises with a purpose-built centre. The design by the architects Sergison Bates won the commission, and the project cost £4.4 million, paid for largely by a capital lottery grant through the Arts Council of Wales.

The new building opened on 25 July 2008 as the Centre for the Applied Arts. It is built of reddish-pink cast stone with a zinc roof that echoes the hills of the Vale of Clwyd, and it is arranged around a courtyard used as an outdoor social space. In 2009 it won the Dewi-Prys Thomas Prize for good design in the built environment in Wales.

The centre has three galleries: two for changing exhibitions of contemporary craft from Wales and abroad, and one for showing collections. It also has a retail gallery, studios for makers, education and residency facilities, and a cafe. It is funded by the Arts Council of Wales and run by Denbighshire Leisure, a company owned by Denbighshire County Council.

Highlights

• Three galleries of contemporary craft and applied art
• Prize-winning building by Sergison Bates
• Retail gallery with jewellery, ceramics and textiles
• Makers’ studios around a central courtyard
• Free self-led activity space for children

Founded

2008

Operated by

Denbighshire Leisure Ltd

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission and on-site parking are free. Workshops and events are booked separately through Eventbrite.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The whole site is on one level with automatic doors to the main gallery lobby and to the cafe and toilets lobby; the doors to the education room and studios in the courtyard open manually. There are accessible toilets in both lobbies and in the education room, and eight disabled parking spaces. Benches and seats are provided around the site and galleries. Assistance animals are welcome, and dogs are welcome in all parts of the main site, including the galleries and cafe. A monthly sensory hour is held for visitors who find a busy gallery overwhelming.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

The activity space is a free self-led area where children can make things and play a large version of the Royal Game of Ur. The centre runs craft workshops and storytelling sessions, offers free activity packs to download, and baby changing is available in the main toilets.

Getting there & parking

By car from the south take the A5 and A494; from the north take the A55 and follow the signs for Ruthin on the A494.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Café R serves coffee, lunch and a Sunday roast, and is dog friendly inside and outside. The retail gallery sells jewellery, ceramics, textiles and other craft, and there is an online shop. Four electric vehicle charging points are on site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit